In the mass production of baked goods such as crackers or savory snacks, topping materials may be continuously applied to a dough sheet or dough pieces prior to baking to promote adhesion of the particulate composition to the moist dough. However, in the pre-baking application of toppings, it is generally only practical to coat only one side of the product because of the conventional transfer of doughs on flat conveyor belts to and through a continuous oven. Furthermore, heat-sensitive seasonings may be adversely affected in terms of flavor, appearance, or texture by the baking process. The post-baking application of toppings avoids the destruction of heat sensitive ingredients. However, the application of toppings to baked goods while they are on a conveyor belt still only achieves a one-sided coating.
In either the pre-baking or post-baking topical application of particulate compositions, the compositions are generally dispensed by a dispenser which extends across the conveyor belt or band. This arrangement dispenses particulate topping compositions, such as salt, in a relatively narrow band across the belt so as to coat the dough or baked good product below. However, dispensing a particulate composition upon a product while it is being conveyed on a conveying band generally results in the wasting of product unless the substrate is in sheet form or the pieces are closely spaced so that the particulate ingredient falls primarily upon the intended substrate.
Furthermore, the topical application of particulate ingredients which are sufficiently light, fine, or of low specific gravity so as to become airborne upon dispensing presents additional problems. For example, the escape of airborne particulates to the bakery atmosphere is wasteful. Also, the airborne particulates may be undesirably incorporated into or onto other baked goods which may be under production in a nearby bakery line. Vacuum hoods may be used to collect airborne particulates. However, such systems may be difficult to adapt to or configure to a conveyor belt system with high collection efficiency. In addition, the application of a vacuum to the dough prior to baking or just after baking may cause undesirable surface drying or moisture gradients which can adversely affect texture and appearance, or which can cause checking.
Toppings may be applied to both sides of a baked good by tumbling the baked good pieces while dispensing the topping upon the pieces. For example, inclined, rotating drums may be used to transport and tumble baked good pieces while dispensing a topping material thereupon. This type of system is generally used in conjunction with an oil based topping which is readily sprayed onto the pieces. However, when oil is used as a carrier for an additive, the amount of oil used is generally substantially more than is needed to provide adhesion of the additive to the substrate. In addition to providing adhesion, the carrier amount should be sufficient to carry the additive and to distribute the additive evenly on both sides of the substrate. Furthermore, combining the carrier with the additive prior to application to the substrate results in loss of independent control over the amount of carrier or adhesive and the amount of the additive.
Another problem encountered with the inclusion of particulates in the liquid carrier or liquid adhesive composition, whether aqueous or oil based, is that it tends to result in excessive clogging of spray nozzles. Also, combining the carrier or adhesive with the additive often results in bleeding of color components of the particulates into the carrier and vice-versa. This phenomenon results in a coated appearance and a loss of the visual impact of discrete, visually apparent particulates.
The baked goods or snacks may first be sprayed with an oil-based carrier or adhesive such as spray oil followed by the downstream application of a particulate ingredient. However, for porous substrates, such as baked goods and baked snacks, the oleaginous composition tends to soak into the substrate to a substantial degree before the particulates are applied thereby reducing binding or adhesion of the particulates to the substrate. Penetration of the liquid carrier into the baked substrate is particularly acute when the products are at an elevated temperature after baking because of increased substrate porosity. The addition of cooling equipment is generally not desirable because of additional equipment costs, additional floor space, and a tendency towards increased checking due to the creation of temperature gradients within the pieces.
Furthermore, loss of adhesion due to penetration of the liquid adhesive into the substrate results in loss of particulate ingredients. The lost particulates tend to accumulate in the rotating drum as well as in downstream packaging and conveying equipment. Excessive accumulation of the particulates necessitates shutdown of the continuous operation and cleaning of equipment.
To compensate for the loss of adhesion due to penetration of the liquid oleaginous composition into the substrate, higher amounts of the oleaginous composition are generally used to replenish the surface amount of adhesive. However, increasing the amount of the oil-based carrier or adhesive to compensate for substantial penetration into the substrate results in a substantial increase in fat content of the product.
Water may be used to replace oil as a spraying medium. However, water, like oil, penetrates the surface of the baked product to a substantial degree when applied upstream of the particulates. The use of excessive amounts of water, while helping to reduce the fat content, may result in adverse affects upon baked good texture and microbial stability. While excess water may be removed by further heating or drying, these additional steps may decompose or volatilize heat sensitive or volatile additives. The additional heating may also increase "checking" or breakage problems in baked goods and snacks, particularly in thin products such as chips. It may also adversely affect their flavor, color, appearance, or texture.
Baked good or snack tumbling and conveying with agitation of the pieces and of the topping composition may be achieved with conveyors equipped with counterrotating conveyor brushers. While the counterrotating conveyor brushes efficiently distribute particulate toppings on to the tops and bottom surfaces of the pieces, the application of a liquid adhesive or liquid carrier while the pieces are being conveyed by the brushes tends to result in excessive adhesion of the particulates to the brushes.
The present invention provides an apparatus and method for the topical application of a particulate composition, such as a seasoning, substantially uniformly to the top surface and to the bottom surface of baked good pieces, such as crackers, biscuits, and wafers, and sweet or savory snacks such as fabricated potato chips, tortilla chips, and corn chips. The substantially uniform coating of the individual pieces with particulates which are adhered to the baked good pieces is achieved with reduced amounts of oil-based liquid carriers. Smaller amounts of oil-based or water-based adhesives may be used without loss of binding or adhesion of the particulates to the baked good pieces or snacks. The methods and apparatus of the present invention may be used to obtain no-fat, low fat, and reduced fat foods having visually apparent, substantially discrete, particulate additives adhered to their top and bottom surfaces. The apparatus and process provides for the topical application of particulates on a mass production, continuous basis, with little or no waste of particulate composition and without substantial contamination of downstream conveyor equipment and packaging equipment. Furthermore, flavor, appearance, and texture of heat-sensitive toppings are not adversely affected in the process of the present invention. Granulated products, such as cheese powder, onion and garlic, and dried pepper seasonings may be continuously adhered to baked goods and baked snacks to obtain consistent, uniform, coverage without substantial particulate waste or contamination of or accumulation upon equipment.